Clabence p



(Model.)

G. P..GOULD.

TRUNK CATCH. No. 266,285. Patented Oct. 24, 1882..

" Price.

ATENT Y CLARENCE P. GOULD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TRUNK-CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 266,285, dated October24:, 1882,

Application filed March 16, 1882. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE P. Crown), of Newark, in the countyofPassaic and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved TrunkCatch, of which the following-is a specification.

Figure l is a front view of portion ofa trunk, showing my improvedcatches applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of the catch,showingitclosed; Fig. 3,asirnilarview thereof, showing it open. Fig. 4is avertical central section through the catch when closed, and Fig. 5 asimilar section thereof when open.

The object of this-invention is to produce a catch for use at the sidesof the lock of a trunk for holding the lid or cover of the trunk downnear its ends, which catch is so arranged as to engage automaticallywith either of two lugs upon a projection on the cover, and so that itcan be readily and completely revolved and turned aside to allow the lidor cover ofthe trunk to be opened.

The invention consists in combining a rotary catch-plate having twoprojectingJugs with a spring that draws it toward the face of itssupport, and with a notched projection on the cover, and with a notchedsupporting-plate, all as hereinafter described.

It also consists in further details of construction, hereinafter morefully specified.

In the drawings, the letter A represents part of the body of a trunk,and B part of the lid or cover of the same. To the body Ais fastened thesupporting bracket or plate C of my improved catch, which plate isriveted or screwed onto the trunk, and so shaped as to .leave a cavity,a, between its body and the body A of the trunk, and anoutwardly-projecting circular rib, f, and another outwardly-projectin gpartially-circular rib, b, on its outer side. The rib b is part of atrue circle, the center of which is located within the plate or bracket0; but the upper part of this plate C and of its partly-annular rib Z)is cut away to be nearly flush, or at least parallel, with the upperedge of the body A of the trunk. To this plate C is pivoted the rotatingcatch-plate D, which catch-plate has a central pin, 61, that passesthrough the plate C, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The catch-plateD is of annular form,

so far as its rim 6 is concerned, said rim e fitting into the groove ordepression which is formed between the ribs 1) and f, that project fromthe face of the plate C, and the catch-plate D is capable of rotatingcompletely on the plate C around the axis of the pin 61, which isconcentric with the circles described by the ribsf and b and rim 6. Therim 6 of the plate D is traversed by a cross-bar, g, to which the pin dis rigidly attached, and the rim 0 is also provided with twooutwardly-projecting prongs or hook-shaped extensions, h and i. .The pin61 is on the inner side of the plate C embraced by a coiled or otherspring,j, that bears against the inner face of the plate C, and againsta 65 plate D, but also a slightly vibratory motion.

The rim b is cutaway vertically below the pin d to form a notch, l, intowhich one of the lugs or extensions h ori can enter. In like manner therim or projection fis cut away to form two notches, m and a, into whichthe ends of the handle brace or bar 9 will be drawn by the spring j whenthe parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2.

To the lid or cover B of the trunk is fastened a hasp, E, which has acurved rib, 0, that comes in line with and completes thecircle of therib 1) whenever the trunk-cover is shut down, as is clearly shown inFig. 2. Vertically above the pin (1 this rib 0 has anotclnp, into whichthe hook-shaped projection h ore of the catch-plate D can tit or enter.The part (1 of the plate E, which is behind this notchp, is slightlytapering downward, as shown in Fig. 5. When the catch-plate D is in-theposition shown in Fig. 2 with reference to the 5 plate Cnamely, when thecatchi is in the notch l-the lid will be automatically caught by theplate D, for in bringing the lid down the lower tapering portion of theplate E will enter behind the catch h, and will push I00 the sameslightly outward until it has passed said hook-shaped projections h,which will then, under the influence of the springj, catch over the topof said projection and above the notched portion 1), as shown in Fig. 4,and at this time the catch-plate D is locked in the four notches l, a,m, and 1'), as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to open the trunk, it is only necessary, so far as thesecatches are concerned, to take hold of the handle-barg, pulling it, andwith it the entire plate D, slightly outward, so as to contract thespring j, pull the parts of the catch-plate D out of said severalnotches, and then turn said catch-plate into the position shown in Fig.8,whereupon all connection with the top hasp, IE, will be interruptedand the trunk-lid readily opened.

I regard it as an essential feature of this invention that in the hasp Eis a continuation of the circle on which the catch-plate can revolve,and that the catclrplate', when the trunk is closed, will be locked in aseries of notches, so as to thereby be insured against instantaneousdisengagement from the hasp. 1t isimmaterial whether the catch orhook-shaped pro jection h orqiis on top. They are both alike, as

shown in Fig. 5, and either will perform the functions of locking theplates 0 and E togelher.

\Vhen the trunk-lid is to be left uncaught, when closed, it is onlynecessary to leave the plate D in the position shown in Fig. 3.

The plate D can be completely turned, and it is therefore immaterial inwhich direction it is moved to bring the locking-catch h or i to thetop.

I claim- 1. In a trunk-catch, the annular catch-plate D, havingdiametrical handle-brace g, and combined with the spring j, plate O, andhasp I l,

said plate 1) being adapted to be completely revolved, and to be pulledby said handlebrace, substantially as described.

2. In a trunk-catch, the catch-plate D, arranged to revolve completelyaround a raised ring,f, and combined with a spring, and with a hasp, E,having notch 1) cut away vertically above the center of said ring,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the plate (J, having circular ribs b and f, withthe swiveled plate D, having projection h, and with the springj and haspE, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The rotary catch-plate having two projecting catches, h and i, ondiametrically opposite sides, and having the handle-brace g, rim 0, andpin (1, in combination with the plate 0, having the rib f, with notchesm m, rib I), with notch I, and with the hasp E, having rib 0, with notch12, all arranged for operation substantially as spcci tied.

5. The hasp E, having rib 0, combined with the plate 0, having rib b,said ribs forming, when the trunk is closed, a complete circle havingnotches p and Z, in combination with the rotating catch-plate D, having,projections h and 'i and springj, substantially as described.

6. The catch-plate I),combined with bracket O and hasp E, and adapted tolock at the same time into said bracket and said hasp by the projectionsh z, and to be unlocked by being pulled horizontally oft the bracket 0,substantially as described.

This specification of my invention signed by me this 10th day of March,1882.

CLARENCE I. GOULD. Witnesses WILLY G. E. SCHULTZ, JAMES NUT.

